CBI begins groundwork on Kaleshwaram barrages probe after Telangana request
HYDERABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has begun preliminary work on Telangana’s request for a probe into alleged irregularities, diversion of funds and corruption in the construction of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project’s barrages.
Officials said the CBI has approached the state government for documents and reports of previous inquiries carried out by central and state bodies. Sources added that while no formal consent has yet been given, the agency first wants to examine the material before deciding if the case merits a full-fledged investigation. If satisfied, it will seek clearance from the Union ministry of home affairs.
The state government has said it will initiate legal action based on the CBI’s findings.
Reports under review
The CBI is studying reports of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), the vigilance and enforcement (V&E) wing, and a commission headed by Justice (retd) P C Ghose. Telangana had formally written to the CBI in the first week of September, citing the NDSA’s findings.
Inquiries flagged serious lapses in design, construction, quality control, operation, maintenance and financial management of the Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram barrages. Responsibility was fixed on several officials, ranging from retired chief secretaries and engineers-in-chief to junior engineers.
Medigadda pier sinking raised alarm
The issue came into sharp focus after several piers of block-7 of the Medigadda barrage sank on October 21, 2023. The NDSA team inspected the site on October 24, 2023, and later submitted three reports: a preliminary report on November 1, 2023, an interim report on May 1, 2024, and a final report on April 24, 2025.
The authority concluded that the sinking was the result of poor planning, design flaws, substandard quality control and weak monitoring.
Parallelly, the V&E wing conducted its own inquiry, while the Ghose commission—set up under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952—examined allegations of corruption and mismanagement. Justice Ghose submitted his report to the state government on July 31, identifying nearly 50 individuals, including senior irrigation officials, as responsible for lapses.
కలేశ్వరం ప్రాజెక్ట్లో అవకతవకలు, నిధుల దుర్వినియోగం, అవినీతి ఆరోపణలపై తెలంగాణ ప్రభుత్వం కోరిన దర్యాప్తు నేపథ్యంలో సీబీఐ ప్రాథమిక పరిశీలన ప్రారంభించింది. మెడిగడ్డ బారేజ్ పియర్లు కూలిన ఘటనపై ఎన్డీఎస్ఏ, విజిలెన్స్, ఘోష్ కమిషన్ నివేదికలను సీబీఐ పరిశీలిస్తోంది.#Kaleshwaram… pic.twitter.com/ooBHtlXSv3
— TeluguPost (@telugu_post9) September 25, 2025
